Car-brake-controlling device



P. J. GALLAGHER CAR BRAKE CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed April 19. 1926 Patented Dec; 27, 1927..

UNITED stars instan earner ric...

PHLLF J. GLLAGHER, 0F FALLBRDGE, WASHINGTN, ASSIGNOR, OF ONE-FOURTH 'EG NELLIE N. EGAN, 0F VISHRAM, WASHINGTON', AND ONE-EIG'HTH T0 WILLIAM CAR-ERAKE-CNTRQLLNG DEVCE.

This invention relates to improvements in canbrakes and particularly to those ap pliedupon trei'htor tank cars.

The object of the invention is the provision ot simple and economically constructed and applied devices `for instantane ously setting the brakes upon a car from the side oit the car, either troni the ground or from a conveniently positioned hand or foot hold 'for the operator upon the `side of the car. i

A further object ot' my invention is to provide a car-brake apparatus which may be maintained in slack, inoperative condition under spring tension and which may be manipulated trom the ground on the side ot the car by means of a suitable hand-lever to release the spring tension to exert its power in the setting of the brakes.

@ther objects and advantages residii'ig in my invention and objects relating' to details ot' construction and arrangement of the partsthereot will be tully'set ttorth in the detailed description to i'ollow.

` The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example one form in which my invention may be embodied, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view ot car-brake apparatus embodying my invention shown diagrammatically mounted upon a railway cur, indicate-d in broken lines.

Fig'. 2 is a view in cross-section upon an enlarged scale, 'as upon` line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

lig. 3 is a view in side .elevation of an element of the invention, detached.

Referring tosaid views the reference numeral 1 indicates a car-body which is mounted upon the truck 2 shown in broken lines. Brake-beams 3 are mounted in said trucks having brake-shoes 5 engaging the wheels 6 in the usual manner.

Said brake-beams are actuated to apply the brakes through actuating devices of which a typical and standard example shown in Figure 1.

An operating rod is provided to which a lever 8 is connected which7 through link 10, actuates the brake-beams 3 ot the forward truck through swinging levers 11 and that are connected by a link 13. The swinging lever 12 is pivotally connected to a bracket 15 upon the bottom ot the car.

The rod 7 may be actuated through a brake-statt 16 upon Which a hand-wheel 17 is mounted connected to the operating rod by means ot a chain 18 in the usualk manner.

Thelever 8 may be actuated also by means of the usual airebrake cylinder indicated at 20.

The brake-beams upon the truck at the opposite end ot' the car are operated through a link `21 connected midway of the lever 8' at one end and to a swinging lever 21 at .its other end. 'the lever 21 is connected by a link 22 with arms 23 and 25 upon which brakebeams are mounted.

The operating rod 7 is provided with a setecollar 26 formed wit-li vertically and oppositely directed trunnion-pins 27. Spaced troni said collar is a bracket 28 rigidly mounted upon the bottom ot' the car having an aperture through which the rod 7 en tends. A coil-spring 29 mounted about said rod is interposed between the bracket 28 and the setcollar 26 tending to urge the operating rod forwardly or in the direction to swing the lever El toset the brakes.

A handelever 30 is pivotally mounted at 3 1 in a bracket 32upon the car-bottom positioned toward the center ot the car trom the operating-rod 7. Said rod is formed with a yoke extending about the set-col lar 26 and having slots 35 formed therein to receive the respective trunnion-pins 27.

Adjacent the outer edge ot the car-body a longitudinally directed latch-plate 36 is rigidly mounted through an angularly directed llange 37. Said plate is formed with a horizontally disposed slot 38 extending substantially its entire length. At the rearward end of said slot it is connected by a vertically disposed portion 40 with a shorter horizontally disposed slot 41.

The outer extremity of said hand-lever 30 protrudes through the slot 38 extending somewhat therebeyond to admit ot a handrip. g The central port-ion of the plate 36 .is positioned laterally opposite the lever-pivot V31 and under the released tension of the spring 29 the hand-lever 30 will be urged by the spring to the forward extremity 42 of the slot 38.

In vthis position ot the hand-lever the torce ot the spring 29 is exerted upon the rod 'i' through its engagement "with the setcollar 26 to actuate the brakes into their set operative positions.

lll/Then the brakes are thereby released7 the operator will grasp the outer endet `the hand-lever f2() and l'orre the same rearwarfflly along the slot ltl to compress the spring against the bracket 2o and then by an upward` nioven'ient through the `connecting rportion ll() ol: the slot will rel-ease the handlever to seat in the latchy portion All olirtlie slot where the spring will be maintained in compressed condition andthe brakes released'and maintained in such condition.

To set the brakes through the `operation ot my improved device the operator need only grasp the hand-lever 30 and push the same rearwardly in the slot il and downwardly through the vertical portion el() into the slot 88 and release thesame, whereupon the tension of the spring will cause the hand-lever to ily forwardly to the end #l2 which will release the spi-innl and cause the brakes to be set as h: been heretofore described` The advantages residing in my invention will be plainly evident, as it admits of the lakes upon each calr being; manipulated from the ground or, according `to where the spring-actuating device of my invention may be situated, 'from the forward platform of the car or at any convenient location.

This avoids the necessity ot the lirakernan climbing the cars to manipula-te the handvvheel 17 and avoids `serious rislr of accident in climbing about the cars in icy Weather.

These devices of my invention will not be affected by snon1 `or ice as is now frequently the case with the hand-Wheel operated `brake apparatus. Such hand-Wheel anparatus, however, may be maintained upon the car, as they are at present equipped, and the devices of `my invention added thereto at a slight additional cost.

It is apparent that apparatus similar or etpiivalent to my invention as shown may be mounted at various parte of the car where desired or upon either side and will ailford a most convenient and sate lector in the manipulation of the car-baltes.

`From the foregoing' description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the advantages oi the construction and application ot my improved car-brake controlling devices 'will be readily apparent., but, vvhile l have described the principle ot' operation ol the invention together with the devices `which I novv consider the best embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the structures shown are merely illustrative, and that such changes may be'made therein as will lie Within the scope of the following claim. y

l-laving described my invention, what I claim, is

Car-brake controlling apparatus, consisting' in combination with Wheel-brakes and devices `lor actuating the same of a spring arranged to exert pressure in directions to set said brakes, a manually controlled lever operable lrorn the ground and arrangedto compress said spring, and a plate rigidly mounted upon the side of the car, said plate having a longitudinal slot therein to receive the handle of said lever extending the distance of tliemaxiinnni travel of the handle and a smaller slot in parallel therewith at one end connected to the first named slot through Which the lever may be releasaloly held to compress the spring,

`PHILIP J. GALLAGHER. 

